Polar vortex pulls in people to watch the waves

Tuesday

Jul 15, 2014 at 6:30 PM

By Jim.Hayden@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4274

Come polar vortex or high water — or both on Tuesday — Melissa Cordes and Karla Arguet were going to enjoy their day at the beach.“We were determined,” said Arguet, of Holland, as sand blasted her sunglasses.The two women had been planning their afternoon at Holland State Park since last week and didn’t know unseasonably cool air would invade their day off from work, leaving the beach virtually empty.“It’s pretty at least,” said Cordes looking over the blowing sand, churning water and puffy clouds.Winds topped 20 mph at the shore with a lakefront temperature of about 61 degrees, according to the spyglasscondos.com website.The cold temperature — more than 20 degrees below the average high — was part of a short-lived visit from part of the polar vortex, cold air usually located above the Arctic Circle. Over the winter, the icy incursion brought record cold, blowing and drifting snow and wind chills down to minus 20 degrees.For July, the polar slice means chilly air and strong winds.“I read the waves were going to be high,” said Cessie Wright, of Holland, who stood at the end of the north pier being whipped by the wind and sprinkled with spray from an occasional wave.“I can’t believe some of them,” she said as several small sailboats headed down the choppy channel to the Big Lake.“The waves are crazy,” said Nick Romero, of Grand Rapids, as he and his friend Henry Krikke, of Holland, were about to jump into the water.The red flags were flying Tuesday, meaning swimming was not recommended, but that did not deter more than a dozen people from body surfing and bobbing in the waves. The National Weather Service issued a beach hazards statement for the day, cautioning swimmers about 3-5 foot waves and strong currents.Waterspouts were also possible. They form when cold air moves across the warm waters of the Great Lakes. A waterspout can last 2 to 20 minutes and move at speeds of 10 to 15 knots.As of 4 p.m., no waterspouts were reported near Holland, though one was seen earlier in the day near South Haven.The cool weather will continue Wednesday with a high about 68 degrees — the normal high is 82 degrees. Temperatures stay cool throughout the rest of the week, reaching the upper 70s by the weekend.— Follow Jim Hayden on Twitter@SentinelJim.